Already Booked for January? Read This!

[ChefBeckyD]

My Sr. Director had sent out an email with an added incentive for doing the booking blitz, and I expressed to her my disappointment at not participating, because my schedule for January is already full. (I have 11 shows booked for Jan. - that to me is overbooked, because I'd promised DH in Jan I'd go back to an 8 show a month schedule)

She sent me back this email, which I've excerpted, because some of it doesn't pertain...but I thought it was a great explanation, and gave me the motivation I needed to work with my team to make sure THEY have a great booking blitz!

"....The incentive is really to help Directors & Team Leaders with a tool to encourage their teams to book strong in January which will definately benefit Directors and Team Leaders in building back their consultants in the month that we traditionally lose many of our team. It's a tool that they are giving to us so that we don't need to use our own money and time to do it ourselves. Now, you are going to ask yourself why then am I doing just that, investing my time and my own money. I am following the lead of many upper level directors to sweeten the pot for my ENTIRE downline even more so that my Leader team doesn't need to do it either. MOST consultants, probably 85% don't have a booking on their calendar yet for January. Hope that this helps to explain it a bit. When explained to me, it made complete sense from the business point of view. The benefit given to those of use who DO have bookings in January already is the Triple Points for the trip with the shows held the week of Jan. 5-10. If you don't have shows booked in that time frame then you get to work on that for the booking incentive!"

Sheri K.

 

[colegrovet]

Becky,
I'm in the same boat as you I have 9 shows for Jan at the moment.

 

[beckyjsmith]

Here's my issue. That sounded wrong.. so before I go any further let me say I think this is GREAT!
However, my team participated in a booking blitz in late November- in order to set up a successful beginning of the year. Combined they booked 46 shows. So, I have told those who already participated to register those shows. They did the same work, used the same scripts, and got amazing results. Had we known about the company's incentive we would have waited. But we didn't, and I hate to see them miss out on great incentives.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Here's my issue. That sounded wrong.. so before I go any further let me say I think this is GREAT!
However, my team participated in a booking blitz in late November- in order to set up a successful beginning of the year. Combined they booked 46 shows. So, I have told those who already participated to register those shows. They did the same work, used the same scripts, and got amazing results. Had we known about the company's incentive we would have waited. But we didn't, and I hate to see them miss out on great incentives.

That is my issue with this too - and why I expressed my disappointment to my SD. I hammered (gently) it into my team to have January booked by Thanksgiving, and I made sure my January was too - just trying to model it for my team. So I was frustrated too when this came up in the middle of December - ESPECIALLY because they are attaching so many benefits to it. I have felt like I've been punished for being proactive and doing my job! So I can have 11 shows booked, but someone who books one show gets rewarded, and I don't? How is that fair?BUT - this email did help me see the bigger picture - if 85% of consultants don't have a show on the books, I can see the cause for concern, and wanting to do something to raise bookings company-wide.

 

[pkd09]

Sounds like I need to get on the phone! I hesitate this time of year because I think most people are only thinking of getting through Christmas and not making plans for January yet. I did send out a small e-mail newsletter with a booking incentive for Jan. 5-10. But the remainder of the month is pretty slim.

 

[chef131doreen]

I also agree My Jan is really full , but not from past shows ME GETTING on the PHONE and with NEW bookings . We should be able to register these shows I know I worked really hard to get these shows (12 cooking 4 catty) and I'm sure everyone wlse that booked them all before Thanksgiving did too
Just mut 2 cents

 

[cookingwithdot]

My Jan is slim - awesome that some of you have so many shows! I only have 3 that are for sure. I try to explain the great host rewards, but people can't seem to think past Christmas right now. I totally understand, because I am the same way! I do have 3 additional Jan shows in the works ... one is an offer for a "free cooking show" raffle I had beginning of the month. It really worked ... she wants to do a show! I was afraid people would feel "bamboozled" ... know what I mean? I think I have some more emails to send out this morning! I had kind of given up on Jan bookings, but now I have a 2nd wind .... Any suggestions for a cheap recipe to make?? I was thinking Loaded Baked Potato Chowder.

 

[CarolynnLee]

The following is the excerted note we received from our director:

"Recently you received a notice from the home office offering a challenge. My sincere hope is that you "go for the gold" and participate in a fun way to pack your January calendar AND earn prizes and surprises.

You might be thinking: "That's great, but I already have all the shows that I want in January. And, if I knew that this was coming, I might have held off on scheduling those shows.

I might answer you: "There are several things to consider. First, your "real" payoff for a solid show schedule is your commission check in February. Second, you will be earning points for the next travel incentive. Third, with a show schedule that is busy and consistent, you will be setting yourself up for a great Spring season."

In reality, the offer from the home office is above and beyond what we would naturally expect. This is just an enticement for you to consider participating in a fun way to enhance your calendar in January. If you are tenured in this business - and if you live in a weather threatened vicinity - you know how important it is to OVERBOOK. My firsthand statement is, I had 10 shows scheduled last January and 3 actually took place. I spent the rest of the year making up for that loss. By joining in on the challenge you will pad your existing schedule and not have to make it up for the rest of the year."

She does make a lot of sense and I have to agree with her. Also, when you register your show you have no guarantee you will win an instant prize or any of the prizes in January. We are associated with a very generous company and if they choose to motivate consultants in this way, then good for those who benefit where maybe consultants would not have booked January, but for these incentives.

How many of us will hold off booking next January, just in case they do this or something like it again? No one, I think! When consultants see how great it is to have January booked and the benefits of that, they won't wait either next year. They just might be on your team!:sing:

 

[baychef]

Fantastic thread!!!!!! Mine is shaping up nicely as is my February, but I too need to help my team and get on the phone for myself too! Thanks for sharing all of these great ideas!

On a side note, my ED has a downline of about 500 (that is everybody, every level and every generation). A bunch of directors and above got together and pooled together about $12 a piece. We are offering a drawing for December, January and March of a $100 Visa gift card. To qualify for the drawing, a downline must submit at least one qualifying show no later than the 10th of the month AND it has to be registered on the Cluster Calendar. Those names go in a drawing for the gift card. We just drew our first winner and although one of my 3 did not win, it is a great incentive to get consultants used to registering their parties and getting active by the 10th of the month.

 

[pattikake]

wow - I envy those of you who hear from your directors. This is one of the many reasons I love this site.

 

[zmom58]

In regards to overbooking your January, or any month for that matter...I heard Carol Radu once say "Book your shows so that a cancellation is a relief, not a disaster!" Great advice for all of us.